Mellor Coachcraft: Difference between revisions

{{Short description|British bus manufacturer}}

{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2017}}

| name =

| logo = Mellor Coachcraft logo.svg

| logo_size = 240px

| type = [[Private limited company|Private]]

| slogan =

| parent = Woodall Nicholson Group

| foundation = {{start date and age|1967}} (initial company)<br />{{start date and age|27 February 1992}} (present company)

| location_city = [[Rochdale]], Greater Manchester

| location_country = England

| key_people = Mark Clissett (managing director)

| num_employees =

| industry = Bus building

| products = Mini- and Midi-buses

| production =

| production_year =

| revenue = {{increase}} £1.15&nbsp;million

| revenue_year = 2015/16

| net_income =

| net_income_year =

| homepage = https://www.mellorbus.com/]

| footnotes =

'''Mellor Coachcraft''',<ref name=coho>[https://beta.companieshouse.gov.uk/company/02691794 Companies House extract company no 02691794] Mellor Coachcraft Limited formerly Woodall Nicholson Limited formerly Deckglade Limited</ref> known simply as Mellor or Mellor Bus, is a British bus manufacturer based in [[Rochdale]], Greater Manchester. Founded in the 1960s, Mellor has primarily produced [[Coachwork|bodywork]] for various different [[minibus]] chassis throughout its history. Mellor is owned by parent company, [[Woodall Nicholson Group]], alongside Treka Bus.

Mellor was founded in the 1960s by Tom Mellor with a factory in [[Rochdale]], Greater Manchester. Initially, Mellor specialised in providing bodywork for commercial vehicles including ambulances, before later moving into minibus manufacturing.<ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/19th-march-1976/23/mellor-s-welfare-ambulance-adapts Mellor's welfare ambulance adapts] ''[[Commercial Motor]]'' 19 March 1976</ref> Following a period of growth spurred on by the move into the minibus market, Mellor moved into a new purpose-built factory in Miall Street, Rochdale which they still occupy today.<ref name=History>[https://www.mellor-coachcraft.co.uk/our-history/ Our history] Mellor Coachcraft</ref>

Throughout the 'minibus revolution' of the 1980s in the United Kingdom, Mellor provided bodies for a number of different chassis, with a large number of deliveries going to Transit Holdings and their various subsidiaries.<ref name=History/><ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/14th-february-1987/18/in-brief In brief] ''Commercial Motor'' 14 February 1987</ref><ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/1st-december-1988/5/blundreds-minis-to-sail-into-docklands Blundred's minis to sail into docklands] ''Commercial Motor'' 1 December 1988</ref>

In 1989, the company was sold by [[Henlys Group]] to [[Plaxton]].<ref>[http://archive.commercialmotor.com/article/8th-june-1989/15/plaxton-in-henlys-group-mega-deal Plaxton in Henlys Group mega deal] ''Commercial Motor'' 8 June 1989</ref> In February 1992, the company's assets were transferred to a new entity, Deckglade Limited, in preparation for a [[management buyout]] by the Woodall Nicholson Group that was completed in May 1992, with the company name reverting to Mellor Coachcraft in July 2003.<ref name=coho/><ref>[http://www.cmspecialistvehicles.co.uk/about/ Avout] CM Specialist Vehicles</ref> Success was found in the late 1990s and early 2000s with a bodywork for the low-floor [[Iveco Daily]] chassis, with a capacity of between 16 and 25 passengers; fitted with an optional rear lift, the body was popular with the early access bus market. Later, bodywork was launched for the [[Fiat Ducato]], [[Ford Transit]] and [[Mercedes-Benz T2]], [[Mercedes-Benz Vario|Vario]] and [[Mercedes-Benz Sprinter|Sprinter]] chassis, with many minibuses being sold to local authorities in the access bus market.

On 1 November 2017, Mellor's owner Woodall Nicholson Holdings completed the purchase of the Villmount Group, which owns rival UK-based minibus manufacturer Treka Bus. Mellor and Treka Bus will continue to trade separately as Woodall Nicholson subsidiaries.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.route-one.net/articles/Business_deals/Mellor_owners_buy_Treka_Bus_and_both_to_continue_as_usual|title=Mellor owners buy Treka Bus and both to continue as usual |website=Route One|date=November 2017 |access-date=21 April 2018}}</ref>

Woodall Nicholson Holdings announced that it had appointed [[Administrator (law)|administrators]] on 16 November 2023, with both Mellor and Treka Bus stopping production on the same date. Financial records from WN VTech showed that the parent company of Mellor had made an after-tax loss of £2.6&nbsp;million on a turnover of £78&nbsp;million at the end of 2022.<ref>{{cite web|last=Deakin |first=Tim |url= https://www.route-one.net/news/mellor-and-treka-bus-owner-files-notice-to-appoint-administrator/ |title=Mellor and Treka Bus parent files notice to appoint administrator |website=routeone |date=17 November 2023 |access-date=17 November 2023}}</ref> Mellor and Treka Bus, among other companies, were saved from liquidation after Woodall Nicholson was acquired by Belgian entrepreneur [[Guido Dumarey]]'s Dumarey Group in December.<ref>{{cite web|last=Deakin |first=Tim |url=https://www.route-one.net/news/mellor-and-treka-businesses-saved-as-part-of-dumarey-purchase/ |title=Mellor and Treka businesses saved as part of Dumarey purchase |website=routeone |date=7 December 2023 |access-date=7 December 2023}}</ref>

**Pico – eight-seater [[taxi]] version of the Orion

*[[Mellor Tucana 2|Tucana 2]] – updated version of the Tucana low-floor minibus based on the [[Volkswagen Transporter (T6)|Volkswagen Transporter T6]] chassis

*[[Mellor Sigma|Sigma]] – low-floor battery-electric bus range, available as a 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 or 12-metre vehicle.<ref>{{Cite web |date=2022-05-10 |title=Mellor's 7-metre Sigma public debut at ITT Hub |url=https://www.busandcoachbuyer.com/mellors-7-metre-signa-debut-at-itt-hub/ |access-date=2022-05-16 |website=Bus & Coach Buyer |language=en-GB}}</ref>

{{Mellor Coachcraft}}

{{Bus manufacturing companies of the United Kingdom}}

[[Category:Mellor Coachcraft]]

[[Category:Companies based in Rochdale]]